Pressure-regulating valve assembly



July'12, 1949. E. F. LOWEKE PRESSURE REGULATING VALVE ASSEMBLY Original Filed July 19, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 d: oq om -n m NV NNJ ANN/J rl .l L i i 5 //A w 4 A -7 09 3 mm ow I I ill! 3 o m 8 m mo mw ll. 8 m9 M g V 3 mm mw #m 2 9 mm mm on UN 9 8 oh m: 2. A: ow. NE

EH'W/N ELUWEHE July 12, 1949.

E. F. LOWEKE PRESSURE REGULATING VALVE ASSEMBLY Original Filed July 19, 1544 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3mm EFW/IN F. LUWEFIE 5 4mm 9 fizA Patented July 12, 1949 rasssuar-asccm'rmc VALVE ASSEMBLY Erwin F. Loweke, Jackson, Mich., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to The B. F. Goodrich Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of New York Continuation of application Serial N0. 545,638,

July 19, 1944. This application April 14, 1948,

Serial No. 21,037

3 Claims.

. 1 a This application is a continuation of my application Serial No. 545,638, filed July 19, 1944, now abandoned.

The invention relates to improvements in power Fig. I is a vertical section taken on line 1-1 of Fig. III, of a power brake valve for non-compressible fluid embodying the principles of the present invention.

line

brake valves used in hydraulic brake systems in 5 Fig. II is a cross sectional view taken on which the operating fluid is non-compressible. IIII of Fig. III,

Although the principles of construction and Fig. III is an end view of the valve taken to operation of the present invention have applicathe left of Fig. I, tion in y fields, y have Particular pp Fig. IV is an end view of the valve taken from cation to aircraft brakes. In this field, it is of the right of Fig. I, considerable importance to synchronize the brake Fig V i an enlarged View of t displacepedal reaction with actual brake application. ment chamber located behind the packing of the ls the present high landing speeds require exvalve construction shown in Fig. I, and Fig. VI c v ly' f acting pressure r lating valves is a diagrammatic representation in vertical cross to reduce time lag to a minimum in applying section of the operating principles of the presthe brakes. ent invention.

One of the features of the improvements here- Referring t the drawings, the power brake in disclosed has reference to the use of a disvalve [8, which has been specifically designed for placement chamber with anon-compressible fluid the brake system of aircraft and for operating for obtaining a delayed load feel. The reacupon non-compressible fluid, comprises the main tion pressure is metered through a choke into a body l2 with tapped bosses l4, l6 and l8 condisplacement chamber of a suitable construction stituting a fluid pressure inlet, brake outlet, and capable of absorbing an initial flow of non-comfluid return supply tank, connections, respectivepressible fluid before building up a reaction pres- 1y. As viewed in Fig. I, the body l2 has a straight sure fo regulating D 'D Obtaining a debore 20 and a co-aizial bore 22 of reduced diamelayed reaction in a brake valve through the use ter separated by a shoulder 24. Fitted within the of a choke has been proposed in connection with bore 20 are parts 28 and separated along the the use of compressed air, as for example, in line 32, part 28 being crossdrilled at 34 to conthe Andres et al. Patent No. 2,275,338. However, nect with the pressure connection H; The sealwhere non-compressible fluids are being used as 30 ing ring 29 seals the arts 29 and 30 i the b r the operating medium, compressed air valve struc- 20. This arrangement permits the grinding of ture is not adaptable. the end of the part 30 along the line 32 to pro-- Thus it is an object of the present invention vide a flat concentric valve seat 36 perpendicu to provide an improved brake valve for non lar to the bore 20. compressible fluid having a delayed load feel." The tandem valve 38 has a poppet portion 40 Another object is to provide a valve of the type which co-acts with the seat 36 to regulate the described in which a non-compressible fluid is flow of non-compressible fluid under pressure hemetered into a displacement chamber. for abtween the conventional accumulator and the sorbing an initial flow prior to the development brake and a valve-seat 42 for the ban 44 tof pressure regulating movement. ing to close one end of the central passage '46 A further object is to provide a power brake to the valve stem 38 connected with the supply valve for non-compressible fluid in which a regutank connection l8. As shown, the poppet porlatable choke is provided foradapting the same tion 40 is a part of and is carried with 'pilot 'pis valve to different operating conditions which inton 48 and 50 at opposite end of the valve stem flu nce Valve P o c as o eXample, Varif 45 38; the piston 48 and 50 supporting the valve ations in brake return spring load, inertia of the stem 38 for sliding movement in parts 28 and braking members of difierent type brakes, ex- 30. v treme differences in brake displacement or in the The central passage 46 communicates with the head loss of the brake line and other similar chamber 52 and the brake outlet connection It variables. 50 through cross port'54. Non-compressible hydrau- These and other objects and advantages residlic fluid admitted to the chamber 52 will flow in in th v lv mechanism w more l a y pin one direction through the ort 54 and choke pear from a consideration of the following speci- 56 into thespring chamber 58 formed in part by flcation and the annexed claims. the end plate 60. Suitable means 52 support In the drawings, the plate 50 in position, holding the sleeve 30 4 against the simmer 24. The choke se is pmvided with a screwdriver slot SI'and is threadably supported in the passage 46. By selecting a choke 58 having a a passage 64 of the proper cross section, one means for regulating the unbalance of valve 38 and delaying the closing of the valve 38 is provided due to throttling and dash pot action.

Through mechanism well known in the art, the lever 86,'hinged at 88, is connected at the upper end '10 to a manually actuated linkage (not shown), which includes the brake pedal. For the operating connection between the lever 66 and the valve I0, a spring 12 is provided. As shown, a stud 54 holds the upper, ends of the spring I2 to the boss I8 on the lever .88. The clamp I8, adjustable along the lever 68, acts through an adjustment screw 80 to preload the spring I2 against the abutment 82. By moving the clamp I8 along the lever, the characteristic of the spring 12 'may be changed.

The lower end 83 of the spring I2, with 2, lug 84 engaging the top 80., is in a position of engagement with the adjustable end or nose 88 of the rod 90, which is part-of the pressure regulating piston 92 supported in the pressure regulating chamber 94 for axial movement and urged against the retaining ring 96 by the spring'98. Between the spring 98 and the pressure regulating piston 92 is a washer I which cams the actuator I02, supported in the bushing I04 for axial movement, in having a recessed head I06 in which the ball valve 44 is supported and moved toward the seat 42.

In practice, the bushing pressed fitted in position. As the diameter of the actuator I02 may be enlarged or reduced to change the unbalance of the valve, in production it is only necessary to change the inside diameter of the bushing I04 to correspond to the diameter .of the selected actuator I02 in order to efiect changes in the unbalance of the'valve 38.

To those skilled in the principles of hydraulics and the flow of non-compressible fluids under pressure, it will be readily apparent that there will be a, lag between the initial flow of fluid pressure upon displacement of the poppet portion from its seat 36 and the application of the brake by fluid pressure directed through the brake outlet connection I8. Also, it is recognized as desirable to transmit back through the manual operative mechanism the actuating pressure being applied to the brake to give the operator at certain feel of brake operation. Due to the aforesaid lag, unless some provision is made to delay the reaction against the operators foot, in the case of an aircraft brake, for example, a pilot receives the feel brake actuation prior to actual braking of the landing wheels. To correct the situation, it is necessary to synchronize the feel with the actual brake actuation. To accomplish this, a delaying mechanism has been provided in the form of a passage I08 extending between the chamber 52 and 94. In production, the restriction in the passage I08 may be a fixed orifice or it may be provided with an adjustable orifice-in the form of a needle valve H0. The restriction at II2, adjustable through the needle valve IIO, will delay the pressure buildup in the pressure regulating chamber 94 provided that some provisions are made for displacement losses. displacement losses, with an operating fluid which is non-compressible, must be suflicient to absorb enough of the initial flow of non-compressible fluid through the choke, to delay the pressure I04 is preferably portion 40.

placement losses in the chamber 94 or equivalent -maytake many forms.

These 4 buildup in the regulating chamber 94 to synchronize the same with the brake application resulting from the pressure buildup and fluid velocity in the chamber 82 and brake outlet connection I8 following the opening of the poppet The provisions for providing dis- A very simple arrangement is illustrated in Figs. I, II and V in which a distortable annular packing with a con base H8 provides an annular clearance III; with the groove I20 in which the packing I I 4 is positioned. As the pressure in the chamber 94 is all sealed to the left'of the sealing point I22, a certain amount of displacement of the packing II4 can take place into the clearance H8. The amount of displacement of the packing ring II4 into the clearance I I8, upon fluid pressure being admitted to'the chamber 94, will depend upon the distortability of the ring I I4 and its ability to return to its unstressed position upon brake releasing operation. It will be understood that the packing ring H4 is resilient, readily distortable material, as for example, rubber. In service shouldthe amount of clearance II8 upon brake release increase or decrease appreciably the amount of delayed brake feel may be regulated by the needle valve IIO. I

The function of the packing ring H4 and the groove I20 becomes that of a piston, which upon brake application has limited displacement movement to the right before the pressure in the chamber 94 is able to buildup and be exerted against the piston 92 toreact back to the brake pedal. In Fig. VI, this function is diagrammatically illustrated wherein the displacement of the packing ring H4 is represented by a piston I24 movable relative to the actuator I02 until the shoulder I26 is engaged. The spring I 28 corresponds to the resiliency of the packing ring I I4 while the shoulder I28 limits the movement of the piston I24 in the same manner as thewall of the groove I20 limits the displacement of the-packing ring II4.

To provide rapid movement of the valve stem 39, the same is preferably unbalanced in the manner indicated, the degree of unbalance depending upon the characteristics of valve operation desired. It will be noted from a consideration of Fig. I, that flow of fluid between the connections I4 and I6 past the poppet portion 40 is relatively unobstructed with a minimum of turbulence. In operation, a valve construction according to the present inventionprovides a high sudden pres sure surge in the chamber 52 upon opening the poppet 40 followed immediately by a sudden reduction in pressure indicating high velocity of fiuid through the poppet portion 40 and fluid connection I8 as well as a rapid buildup to brake pressure.

To describe the operation, in its inactive position, the valve stem 38 is in the position shown in Fig. I with the connections I8 and I8 in communication. connection I4 holds the valve stem 38 adjacent the seat 36 in an unbalanced state; To apply the brake, the operator rocks the lever 86 to cause the lower end 89 of the spring I2 to build up a pressure against the nose 88. With the valve stem 38 unbalanced, the spring 12 is preferably preloaded through the adjustment screw 80. Un-

der the stress of the spring I2, the valve is advanced to engage the seat 42. At this point further advancement is delayed until sumcient stress is built up in the spring 12 to overcome the unbalanced pressure holding the valve stem Pressure admitted through the 38 in its closed position. The initial movement of the poppet portion 40 through movement of the pressure regulating piston 92, transmitted through the valve stem 38 produces a high pres.- sure surge within the chamber 52. The surge induces accelerated movement of the fluid through the connection It into the brake system with a momentary reduction in pressure followed by a pressure buildup in the chamber 52 to the brake operating pressure. As heretofore described, the restriction I I! will so delay the pres sure reaction through the passage I08 against the pressure regulating piston 92 as to synchronize the reaction or feel" against the foot or brake pedal with the actual operation of the brake. It would be understood, however, that using non-compressible fluid, it is the ability of the displacement of the packing ring H4 to absorb the initial flow of non-compressible fluid through the choke H2, which provides the delayed action. As will be well understood, the brake operating pressure will be maintained as long as the ball valve 44 remains seated. Upon release of suflicient pressure through the pressure regulating piston 92 to permit the ball valve 44 to be moved to the position of Fig. I, the brake pressure will be reduced and fluid will flow between the connections I6 and I8. Upon brake release the parts of the valve structure will assume'the position shown in full line in Fig. I and the packing ring H4, because of its inherent resiliency, will move to provide the clearance H8.

Having thus described my invention, what I characterized by its ability to synchronize actual brake application with brake "feel at the foot pedal or the like and comprising a pressure inlet chamber, a pressure outlet chamber in communication with said inlet chamber and adapted to be connected to the brake, a valve part for regulating the flow of non-compressible fluid under pressure between saidchambers, a pressure regulating chamber having a'manually actuated member therein, means actuated by said member for actuating said valve part to direct fluid pressure to the brake, a fluid pressure connection. between said outlet chamber and said pressure regulating chamber, a choke in said connection for metering a non-compressible fluid from said outlet chamber into said pressure regulating chamber, displacement structure in said regulating chamber construction and arranged for movement relative to said actuated member, said structure including a wall member displaceable by the initial flow of non-compressible fluid through said choke, and means limiting the displacement of said wall member relative to said actuated member to enable a buildup of fluid pressure in said regulating chamber passing through said choke and following the said initial flow therethrough whereby a delayed brake application feel reacts against said manually actuated member.

2. A power brake pressure regulating valve as defined in claim 1, wherein said choke includes an adjustable restricting valve.

' 3. A power brake pressure regulating valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said displacement structure and means takes the form of a sealing ring and groove defined in said piston.

ERW'IN F. LOWEKE.

No references cited. 

